Girl Meets The Other One
by sdange01
Summary: The triangle has finally resolved and Lucas and Riley are happily in a relationship. Maya and Riley are closer than ever, after Maya and Josh decide they have feelings for each other and are going to wait for each other until Maya is old enough to be with Josh. Everything is working out perfectly until Riley and Farkle almost kiss one night. What will happen next?
1. What Happened Last Night

**A/N: I do not own any of these characters or locations. They are the creations of Michael Jacobs et al.**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: What Happened Last Night**

Most of the time I live in Rileytown. It's a wonderful place filled with unicorns, talking puppies and Pluto. I love Pluto. Pluto is the little-planet-that-could. Sunshine and rainbows surround me in Rileytown. There is never a dreary day. Darkness invaded Rileytown once, slowly creeping over it, casting shadows over the sugary-sweet filled world of hopes and dreams I had created. With the help of my friends I managed to banish that darkness.

It's been over a year since I managed to exile the specter of doom and gloom from my special place. Yet, everyday I was becoming more and more aware of another threat to my happy existence. The trouble this time is that I don't have a friend to turn to, not really.

Let me go back to the beginning.

High school didn't start well for my friends and me. We got through it- we may even be stronger people for it- but it knocked me off balance. It made me question my very essence and worth as a person. It took me less than a day to tear my group of friends apart. Even now that we are all friends again, I feel undeserving.

At least I'll always have my Maya.

Maya stuck by me. She didn't care that those seniors put us in a hole without explanation. She didn't abandon me when Lucas and Zay left or when Farkle and Smackle left. She hung in there because she is my person. She and I will always be there for each other.

She's my Peaches and I'm her Honey and nothing and no one will ever change that.

Maybe that's why things don't seem right with Lucas and me.

The day at the ski lodge when Lucas asked me to be his girlfriend was the best day of my life. Rileytown and reality melded together in that moment and I was truly living in a land where magical things such as unicorns coming to life and puppies having conversations with me were possible.

Prince Charming picked me. I am his princess. We are so much alike it's perfect between us.

At least, that's what I thought before.

I looked at my mother sitting next to me in the bay window. It is my safe place: Maya's and my safe place. I could tell my mom was trying to hide her excitement at being invited into my inner sanctum. She was also worried about me. My mom always knows when something is wrong.

"I need you to stay quiet and let me get everything out, okay?" I demanded of my mother.

"Okay Riley, whatever you say." Topanga was happy that her daughter wanted her advice. It seems like Riley is always going to her father for life lessons and it's good to know that Riley still needs her mom.

Riley took a deep breath and the words poured out of her mouth in such a rush that it was as if the Hoover Dam was breaking and a deluge of water flooded through.

"Farkle and I almost kissed last night. I've never felt anything as strongly as I did when his perfectly moist, smooth lips were centimeters from mine. I've never had sparks like that with Lucas. Farkle and I didn't even touch and I felt fireworks exploding between us. The energy was literally pulling us towards each other. I don't know what this means, Mom. Maya and I have been in this weird triangle thing with Lucas for, like, a year. Then Maya and Josh decided to wait for each other and Lucas picked me. Everything should be perfect and now I'm ruining it because, because, because. I don't even know why I'm doing this or why I feel like this or what is real anymore. Help me, Mom. Please?"

I can feel the tears dripping down my face, lacing my cheeks with moisture that reveals the true me, the me that exists under the façade of make up I've been wearing since starting high school. After what seems like an eternity I look at my mom. She looks sad. I knew this would disappoint her. I'm a failure. I ruin lives. I ruin friendships.

"I know I've ruined everything, Mom. I'm such a failure. I don't even deserve to have you and Dad as parents. I should know better. After everything you've taught me. I should know what to do with my feelings."

My mom's arms are around me and she's stroking my hair before I can say another word.

"Shh, Riley. It's okay. It's all going to be okay. Maya didn't develop feelings for Lucas to hurt you and you aren't developing feelings for Farkle to hurt Lucas or Maya or Smackle or anyone. The only thing you need to figure out is whether or not you truly do have romantic feelings for Farkle."

"I can't do that though!" I wailed, flinging myself onto my mother's lap. "I have a boyfriend and Farkle has a girlfriend! I don't want to come between Farkle and Smackle. I don't want to be the cause of Smackle's unhappiness. I don't even know if Farkle likes me! I need you to help me move past what I'm feeling, Mom. I need to go back to living in my real life Rileytown where Lucas is the prince who chose me to be his princess and where Maya is happy with Josh's promise to wait for her. If I like Farkle, if he's the one I'm supposed to be with then this whole triangle was a giant waste of time and energy and I'm the reason so many people will be unhappy!"

"Oh honey, none of that is true. Feelings are complex. They're hard to master. You and your friends are young. It's rare for anything to last forever at your age. Your friends know you, Riley. They know you would never purposefully hurt them. I think the first thing you need to do is talk to Farkle and see how he feels about what happened. If he feels the same way you can figure out how you want to move forward together. If he doesn't, at least you'll know and then you can figure out if your feelings for Lucas are strong enough to keep you together."

"I'm scared to talk to Farkle, Mom. He ran away from me after it happened. He hasn't answered my calls or texts since and he wasn't in school today."

"You're very lucky, Riley. Your friends always come to you. This bay window has been your friends' safe place as much as yours. Maybe it's time you go to your friend. Go to Farkle's house. Show him he means so much to you that you're willing to seek him out."

"You think that's what I should do?"

"Riley, I know it's what you should do. I love you sweetheart. I have faith that you will be able to work this out."

My mom put her arm around my shoulders and guided me up and out of the bedroom. She walked me to the living room, hugged me and held the door open for me as I walked out, intent on having a talk with the boy I think I may have been in love with since I was seven.


	2. The Princess Ideal

**Chapter 2: The Princess Ideal**

I've loved Riley Matthews since the day I met her. She was wearing a princess costume and drowning while bobbing for apples. I guess I fancied myself her prince charming or her knight in shining armor. Maya was there telling Riley to lift her head, but I was the one to save her.

Most people think it's ridiculous to cling to relationships or attachments you form at such a young age. Riley has always been my sun though, the force I spend my life revolving around.

Of course, I told Riley and Maya that I love them the same I had to. The most important thing in the world to Riley is friendship. I didn't want Maya to feel left out of Riley's and my friendship. Maya needs Riley more than I do. I thought that the only way I could keep Riley as my best friend was having Maya as my best friend too.

I wasn't lying when I said it. I love Maya too. I truly do. It's just that I've always been IN love with Riley.

To be honest, I don't think I ever knew I was in love with Riles until last night. I mean, I knew I cared deeply about her. I knew that her happiness was the most important thing in the world to me. I just didn't make the logical jump from knowing those things to realizing I have romantic feelings for her.

Some genius I am, huh?

I'm not an idiot though. I've watched Riley pine over Lucas for more than two years. Riley made it abundantly clear that Lucas is her hero, her prince, her knight. Hell, he even put a princess hat on her and took her on a ride on a horse when we were in the seventh grade. How could I possibly compete with that?

Riley has never looked at me the way she looks at Lucas. I'm Farkle. I'm her nerdy friend, her geek companion. I'm lucky though. Riley (and Maya) don't take me for granted anymore. Like I said, friendship is the most important thing in the world to Riley. She's always been there as my friend and she always will be.

At least that's what I believed until last night.

Look, I've spent the last year picking up the broken pieces of Riley's heart. I watched her realize that Maya has feelings for Lucas. I watched her intentionally step back and lie to everyone, saying she doesn't have feelings for Lucas.

I want Riley to be happy so I told everyone that Riley still has feelings for Lucas. Yea, that may have been a mistake. It pretty much plunged our friend group into this awkward triangle.

Meanwhile, I gave Riley and Maya up and fell for my Smackle. She's wonderful. She's my intellectual equal and she wants me to be there for her. She lets me take care of her. It's all I've ever wanted.

Lucas chose Riley, have I mentioned that yet? Maya and Riley's Uncle Josh pledged their love and loyalty to each other and Lucas ended up with Riley. My princess finally got her prince.

Then we almost kissed. I don't know how it happened. We were studying for science. Everyone else had left Topanga's. Even Katy Hart had left and given us the keys to lock up when we leave.

Riley and I had been arguing over the results of our experiment. It had to do with magnetism and like forces and repellent forces. Our results hadn't quite coincided with our hypothesis and we were arguing about what our next move should be.

I wasn't thinking and I moved the textbook from its resting spot between us so I could scoot closer to Riley and show her something I had found online. My arm found its way around her shoulders and she looked at me with surprise.

Suddenly our faces were so close together I could taste the kiwi gloss on Riley's lips. Her lips were so moist and plump looking. When she realized how close we were she bit her lower lip and the tip of her tongue protruded out of her mouth ever so slightly. It was the first time I had ever dared to let myself look at Riley's mouth.

I should have kept looking at her lips because when I looked in her big, beautiful brown eyes I saw something I've been yearning to see there, every time she looks at me. I saw yearning and longing and even lust.

I leaned in to her and I'm not sure how it happened but she leaned back so that she was lying against the couch and I was on top of her. Her hands found my back and she moved them up until she was cradling my neck with one hand and running her other hand through my hair.

A few strands of Riley's hair had fallen into her face and I leaned down and brushed them out of her eyes as gently as I could.

"Farkle…." Riley's whisper was breathless and full of affection.

Panic overtook me in that moment. Here she was, the girl of my dreams. She was looking at me and her eyes were begging me to kiss her. You have no idea how much I wanted to.

I couldn't let it happen like that though. I couldn't let Riley cheat on Lucas. If I did, Riley would end up resenting me, hating me even.

I did the only thing I could. I ran from her. I didn't stop until I was home.

At least I'll always have the memory of her looking at me like I was her everything.

A knock pulls me out of the reverie of my daydream. I had asked my Mom to get me when dinner was ready so I open the door on autopilot.

For the second time in twenty-four hours my breath is knocked out of me by the girl with the long brown hair, the girl I would do anything for, the girl I walked away from to preserve her relationship with her prince and her happiness.

I usually live in a world filled with equations, logic, science and certainty. When it comes to Riley Matthews, however, I lose all of the sense I was born with and can only think with my heart.

"Farkle, we need to talk," the tear stained girl with the long brown hair chokes out.

"Yea, we do," I nod my head at her.

I step aside and let her into my room. I use the moment without eye contact to collect my thoughts but there's one that keeps screaming inside my head, getting louder and louder until I acknowledge it.

I can't be the cause of Riley's tears.

Sighing, I close the door and turn towards Riley, bracing myself for the barrage of heartache coming my way.


	3. Their Rainbow Connection

**A/N: Apologies to any followers who get an e-mail about a new chapter only to find this chapter reposted. I didn't proofread it before I published it and there were several mistakes (I am SO embarrassed) so I am reposting it. A new chapter will be up ASAP! Thank you for all of the support and reviews! They are MUCH appreciated :)**

 **Chapter 3: Their Rainbow Connection**

The funny thing about love is that it can creep up on you from out of nowhere. One second you're smiling and laughing with your best friend and everything is exactly the way it's been since the day you met. The next second, not only are things different but you're living in a whole new world.

It's as if somebody flicked a switch and you can see clearly for the first time. It's as if the storm comes and you are catapulted over the rainbow into the technicolor world of Oz, after living in the black and white Kansas farm town your whole life.

At least, that's how Riley feels as she stares into Farkle's eyes after he shuts his bedroom door and turns to meet her gaze. She finds himself thinking about the perfect shade of blue inhabiting his eyes. They're not too dark and not too icy. They're so clear. She starts swimming in his eyes.

Their shade of blue reminds her of a trip she took to Italy with her parents and Auggie. It was the one time she had been outside of the country. They traveled to the Amalfi Coast and took a boat to the island of Capri one day. Upon arriving, her parents had surprised Auggie and her with a special treat: they were going to enter the fabled Grotta Azzurra, the Blue Grotto.

Riley vividly remembers sucking her breath in and squeezing her eyes shut as their gondolier shouted and her family to lie back against the bottom of the boat as they dipped down the short hill into the grotto. It was the most exhilarating moment of her life (though staring into Farkle's eyes is even better, she things wryly to herself).

When she found the courage to open her eyes in the grotto she gasped. The sight around her was breathtaking. The water was crystal clear. Riley could see all the way to the ocean floor and her reflection smiled back up at her. The blue from the water seemed to levitate off the water and illuminate the dark and dank walls of the cave. It was truly mesmerizing. It's as if the water had powers unto itself. There was magic in that water trying desperately to release itself by illuminating the cave.

The blue of this water was not the normal beautiful ocean color people covet on their yearly pilgrimages to the ocean. No, it was much more special than that. The blue of the Blue Grotto was almost otherworldly in its brilliance. It wasn't light blue, or pastel colored. Yet it was a happy blue. It was as if ice blue water had mixed with the darker, more authoritative tone of royal blue until the hue achieved warmth. The warmth made the water inviting without rendering it daunting.

That's what she saw in Farkle's eyes. They invited her in and yet they were so clear, happy, shiny and brilliant that she easily lost her way in them.

Shaking herself out of her reverie, Riley cleared her throat.

"Farkle, about last night" she began quietly, before Farkle cut her off.

"It's my fault Riley. I made a mistake. I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was thinking. You are with Lucas. I never meant to cross any lines. I hope you can forgive me."

Riley was surprised. Farkle's words were rushed- there was an edge in his voice she had never heard before.

She sat down on Farkle's bed- mostly to stop from collapsing. Her mind was spinning and a thousand different thoughts coursed through her.

She was having too many simultaneous thoughts to focus on any one in particular. The only thing she could not ignore was the pit in her stomach that had started to from when Farkle had said what happened was a mistake.

 _Shit_. Riley thought to herself. _Of all the moments for me to learn to recognize my true feelings, I couldn't have imagined a worse one._

Riley could no longer deny that she had real feelings for Farkle. Being in his room, looking into his eyes, Riley felt as safe as she felt when she sat in her bay window. It was a feeling she had never felt anywhere else, a feeling she had never felt with anyone except for Maya (and maybe her parents). Lucas certainly didn't give her those feelings.

 _Who am I kidding?_ Riley's inner monologue churned on, _Lucas doesn't make my stomach do flip-flops and he doesn't give me goose bumps even when he kisses me. My body feels like it is on fire and Farkle and I are five feet apart._

"Riley?" Farkle let his unfinished question linger in the air between them. Riley didn't need Farkle to finish his thought. She knew that he needed to hear that she is okay.

She forced a smile onto her face, knowing it wouldn't reach her eyes, and looked up at Farkle again. She steeled herself before saying:

"It's okay, Farkle. I could never be angry with you. You're my best friend. I couldn't live with myself if I had lost you. It was my fault too. No one is to blame for last night."

Tears began to form while she spoke, and she hoped (more than anything she had ever hoped for in the past) that Farkle attributed them to her fear of losing his friendship.

"You'll never lose me, Riley. I was there for you when you were drowning in apples and I'll be here for you no matter what comes your way. You and me, kid. Always."

Farkle froze after the word "kid" escaped his lips. It sounded so forced, so corny, so…like nothing he had ever said before in his life.

 _She's going to see right through me. Crap. Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap._

Farkle was too busy worrying about Riley figuring out that what he wanted more than anything was to make their almost kiss a real one that he didn't see the pained expression on her face after the word "kid" escaped his lips.

 _Kid? Well, a new level of friend zoning has just occurred. Congratulations Riley Matthews, you are so undeserving of Farkle's love that he had to bring friend zoning to a whole new solar system. Way to go, you._

She had completely missed Farkle adding "always" to the end of his thought. It may have made her feel a tiny bit better, the thought of there being nothing that could ever tear apart their friendship. The problem is that Riley doesn't know how to be around Farkle anymore.

She pushed her emotions out of her mind, locking them in a tiny box in her chest. She would keep them there forever if she had to.

"What should we tell Lucas and Smackle?" Riley asked timidly, as she looked down at her hands fidgeting in her lap.

 _Farkle knows I only fidget with my hands when I'm upset about something. I need to stop._

Riley moved her hands so that she was sitting on them.

 _That's one of the worse things about being in love my best friend. He can read me like a book._

For his part, Farkle was too lost in the struggle he was feeling internally to notice any of Riley's physical cues.

All Farkle wanted to do was run to her side and softly wipe the tears from her face with his thumb. Even tearstained, Riley was beautiful. Her brown hair fell beyond her chest, cascading in soft curls. She was wearing Farkle's favorite orange and white striped dress with a jean jacket. He knew that she didn't dress for him, but somehow it seemed like she always wore an outfit he preferred on her when it was just the two of them.

 _I'd love to kiss her tears away,_ he thought wistfully to himself.

"FARKLE!" Riley squealed, stifling a laugh.

 _Maybe this will all be ok,_ she thought _, he still makes me laugh._

"Wh-What?" Farkle stammered in response.

"Lucas and Smackle. What do we tell them?"

The way Riley was looking at him, it was if he held all the answers to the mysteries of the universe. He clearly thought she expected him to at least have the answer to what they tell their respective significant others. He loved that she could look at him like that, that she had that amount of faith in him.

"I think that we don't tell them anything. We didn't actually kiss and we talked about it and cleared up all of the confusion. It didn't mean anything," _yea right,_ he thought.

Riley nodded her head. She was relieved that he didn't want to broach the subject with Lucas and Smackle. It was as if she and Farkle had a secret. Riley would cling to anything that made her feel closer to Farkle and having a secret definitely counted.

 _On the other hand,_ she thought, _I can't stay with Lucas now that I know I don't have romantic feelings for him. Oh my God, what have I done? Lucas is going to hate me. Maya is going to hate me. I need her more than ever now. I won't get through this debacle with Farkle without Maya._

The consequences and results of this one thought is too much for the tiny lock box ensconcing Riley's emotions. They burst out of her chest all at once. She starts sobbing and fell to the floor in front of Farkle's bed.

In a flash Farkle is at her side. He had always been able to do extraordinary things when Riley needed him.

"Riley, what's the matter? Shh, Riles it's ok. I'm here for you." He knelt to the ground and wrapped her up in his arms. He was still a head or so taller than her in this position, so he had to maneuver his neck and head so that she could hear him as she cried into his chest.

Suddenly and without warning, Riley looked up at him. They were shocked at how close they were, they were far closer than they had been the previous night at Topanga's.

Farkle cupped Riley's face in his hand and brought his other hand up to her face to wipe the tears away.

Out of nowhere, Riley hiccupped. The forward motion of that one bodily function propelled Riley forward, closing the last few centimeters of distance between her mouth and Farkle's.

As their lips touched, Farkle's room disappeared. They were floating in a world all their own. It was a simultaneous fantasy world built by their two hearts and minds that operated as a single organism.

 _Well,_ both Riley and Farkle thought _, there's no going back now._


	4. Through the Looking Glass

**A/N: I changed the rating to Teen because things get a little heated in this chapter. Just a warning. Also **I DO NOT condone cheating. It is very bad and you should never cheat on someone you're in a relationship with.** These kids are only 14/15 and they are just getting used to their hormones. Hopefully, I've written this in a way that illustrates that they** ** _couldn't_** **immediately stop themselves. They do stop before things get too serious, however. Please keep reading and reviewing!**

 **Chapter 4: Through the Looking Glass**

 _The truth is that we could have gone back. Well- maybe we couldn't have gone back. We definitely could have stopped, though._ Farkle closed the front door to his apartment a little too harshly and the cavernous echo boomeranging throughout his apartment is what brought him crashing back into reality.

Riley had just left his house. He didn't want her to go. He knew that the moment she did their fantasy world would be shattered and they would have no choice but to slam back into reality. He wanted to savor their brief interlude in the world they had created in his room a few hours ago.

It was all because of that damn hiccup.

The kiss was chaste at first. He didn't even realize it was happening. He had been too lost in the beautiful chocolate candies that were Riley's eyes. In fact, as he looked into her eyes he had been trying to decide if they were more milk chocolate or dark chocolate. Before he knew it was happening her lips brushed against his.

It was a gentle kiss, as soft and as brief as a summer rain.

It was faulty logic he knew (and logic is something Farkle prides himself on). Once her lips were on his, he rationalized that it didn't matter if it was only one brief and chaste kiss or if it morphed into something more passionate.

Apparently Riley had a similar thought process tonight.

All at once her hands found his neck and she pulled him towards her while she grabbed his hair. The sensation awoke something deep within Farkle. It was a yearning to be closer. There were barely millimeters between them and yet it was too much distance for Farkle's liking.

Letting physics do its job, Farkle didn't stop himself from falling on top of her when she pulled him towards her. His hands started at her head, cupping her face, brushing her silky hair out of her brown eyes. He was having déjà vu.

 _Dear God, please let me have this sense of Déjà vu every day for the rest of my life,_ Farkle thought desperately.

Riley was desperate too. At some point she had opened her mouth and used her tongue to incite Farkle to do the same. He had immediately obliged her and she started to explore his mouth with her tongue. She started slowly and then her kisses became faster and more frenzied.

Farkle's hands moved down Riley's body. He had never done anything like this in his life. He was working on autopilot. He had always been awkward and fumbling with Smackle but somehow he knew exactly what to do with Riley. His hands knew where to go.

His mouth knew where to go too, apparently. He let his lips and tongue travel to Riley's earlobe and down her neck. Her soft moans and whimpers (which she was clearly trying to stifle- Farkle couldn't help smiling and chuckling about that) were enough to let Farkle know he was doing something right.

He went too far. His hand was hovering over Riley's chest and the second his fingertips grazed the fabric covering her breasts she had bolted upright.

 _OhMyGod what if she thinks I'm a pervert? Shit. I didn't mean to do that. I didn't even realize I was doing it. How could I have ever thought she would let me touch her there._

"Riley, I am so so so sorry. I didn't mean to touch your bre- I didn't mean to touch you there." Farkle was begging.

He watched as Riley paced the floor before him. Back and forth, back and forth. It seemed like she had paced back and forth a million times before she spoke.

"Farkle, this is my fault entirely. I can't believe I let this happen. I- well- I realized my feelings for you were more than friendly after last night at Topanga's. I shouldn't have come here, especially not alone. I don't know why I thought I could handle this."

Her honesty surprised Farkle. Riley Matthews never stopped amazing him. He loved that she could still surprise him. He loved that she had the courage to admit her true feelings. He loved that she loved him.

"I'll let myself out, Farkle. I understand if you don't want to be friends anymore." Riley started to exit Farkle's bedroom.

Farkle was still stupefied over what had just transpired he almost missed his opportunity to stop her.

Luckily, his growth spurt meant he had tall legs. His arm came between Riley his bedroom door just after she had opened it.

"Farkle, what are you-"

"I love you too, Riley."

She looked at him and for the first time in two days (an eternity for Riley Matthews) she smiled a real smile. It was a smile that lit up her eyes and made them look like a creamy caramel instead of a bittersweet chocolate.

She threw her arms around him and they hugged. Farkle leaned in to kiss her again but Riley's palm stopped him.

"We can't let anything else happen until we talk to Smackle and Lucas, Farkle."

"Yea, you're right. Have I told you what an unbelievable selfless, good person you are Riley Matthews? It's one of the thousand reasons I adore you."

"We really made a mess of things, Farkle." Riley sighed. He knew she was worried about Lucas and Smackle. Farkle knew her well enough to know she was also worried about Maya.

"Maya is happy with Josh, Riles. She isn't going to be mad that you and Lucas aren't meant to be."

The truth is that Farkle and Maya had many conversations about it when the triangle hoopla was at its peak. Maya had always believed Riley and Farkle would end up together. She had tried to get Farkle to seriously pursue Riley before Josh had come back and declared his feelings for her.

"What if I ruined Maya's happiness because I couldn't see what was right in front of me?" Tears were back in Riley's eyes.

 _Loving Riley Matthews means knowing that Maya's and Riley's relationship will always come before Riley's and mine._ Farkle smiled at the thought, if only because Riley's unconditional and unwavering love for Maya Hart made Farkle love her even more.

Farkle started put his arm around Riley and started rubbing her shoulder. It was something he had done a million times over the years. He knew it comforted her.

"You didn't, Riley. If Lucas and Maya want to be together now there's nothing stopping them. In fact, I think that you dating Lucas first will make the transition to a romantic relationship easier for them. I'm not saying they'll end up together either, Riles. I do know that the only way Maya would ever truly give Lucas a shot is if she knew there was definitely nothing between you and Friar."

"You always know what to say to make me feel better, Farkle." Riley sighed an melted into his arms.

"I just can't believe we let ourselves get so carried away! For the rest of our lives, we'll remember our relationship starting because we cheated on Lucas and Smackle." Riley's tears were reprised again.

Farkle didn't have an answer for that. It was true. He and Riley had started something before they should have. It doesn't matter that they had done everything they could to try and stop it. They fought it as best they could.

Farkle could feel Riley distancing herself from him, both emotionally and physically.

He looked her in the eyes and asked the question he dreaded hearing the answer to.

"What do you want to do, Riles?"

Tears were streaming down her face at this point but Farkle needed an answer. He didn't stop to wipe them away this time.

"I don't know, Farkle. I don't want our happily ever after to start with betrayal."

Farkle couldn't stop himself from smiling. It was such a Riley thing to say.

"I'll do whatever you want me to do, Riley. I mean, I can't stay with Smackle now because I know I don't have romantic feelings for her. She was safe and comfortable and perfect on paper. It isn't enough for me though, especially after experiencing this with you."

Riley nodded at him, she was deep in thought. She sighed and turned to him.

"I can't stay with Lucas either, for the exact same reason. He's a great friend and I honestly know that he will remain one of my best friends for the rest of my life- well at least he will if he doesn't hate me when he finds out I kissed you before I broke up with him- but I'm not in love with him."

"You know, Riley, what if we break up with them because we know what we know, but we don't tell them about what happened between us?"

"That's dishonest Farkle!"

"Yea, it is. But tonight, what happened, it made us realize our true feelings for Smackle and Lucas. We would be doing the right thing by letting them go. It would only hurt them more if we told them we kissed. It isn't even necessary since we are breaking up with them. It isn't like we're having an affair."

He knew he was twisting the truth and making this decision seem like the right one but Farkle also knew he had said the magic words. Riley would never be able to hurt someone more just to hurt them, or just to be one hundred percent honest. She had learned that lesson when Maya had taken the locket from lost and found and when Farkle had ruined Romeo and Juliet. Truth is subjective.

"Promise me one thing?" Riley said as she looked at him with such love and trust and faith and hope in her eyes. Riley was the most hopeful person Farkle knew. She still held out hope that Pluto would be reinstated as a planet. He had never seen this much hope in her, however. Intuitively, Farkle knew that whatever Riley was about to ask him was important. It was the most important thing she had asked of him up until this point.

"Anything for you, Riley." Farkle looked her right in the eye and tried his best to telepathically communicate that he would go to the end of the world for her. He would travel every galaxy there was, capture every star in existence for her. He would give his life for her.

"Promise me that we won't let tonight ruin us. I don't ever want to live in a world without Farkle in it. I need you in my world."

Riley's vulnerability was emanating off of her. Farkle was touched. He had heard Riley say she loves him earlier, but it was at this moment that the depth and breadth of Riley's feelings hit him.

 _Holy crap, I mean as much to her as Maya does. I may even mean more to her._ Farkle was correct, too. Riley and Maya have a friendship that will last forever and it would always come first for Riley. She would always run to Maya's side when she was needed.

 _I have her whole heart though._

"Of course, Riley. I will never stop fighting for you. I will never stop fighting for us. You are my whole world."

She hugged him for what simultaneously seemed like eternity but wasn't long enough. A new bond had formed. A new partnership, a new team of two.

 _Tomorrow I am going to the jewelry store and getting a promise ring. I need my own ring power with Riley Matthews._ Farkle smiled at the thought of surprising Riley with it. He knew she would treasure anything he gave her.

"I better go, Farkle." Riley mumbled into his shoulder before breaking their hug. "My mom is probably wondering how things are going."

"I'll walk you home." Farkle offered.

"It's okay, Farkle." Riley gestured to the unfinished homework on Farkle's desk. "I knew you will never leave that unfinished and I want you to get a good night's rest."

Farkle smiled at how much Riley cared about his studies and his health. It wasn't anything new, of course, but it somehow meant _more_ after tonight.

He walked Riley to the front door and held it open for her.

"Listen, Farkle, I don't think we should break up with Lucas and Smackle on the same day. It may raise suspicions."

Farkle couldn't help but notice the nervousness in her voice as he felt a knot form in his stomach.

"Whatever you think is best, Riles." Farkle meant it. He would do whatever she wanted him to do.

"Do you want to go first, or should I?"

Farkle knew it would be torture seeing Riley and Lucas together, knowing that she was his but not being able to have her until she ended things with Lucas. He also knew that as hard as it would be for him, it would be a million times worse for Riley to see him with Smackle.

"I can go first Riley."

Farkle knew he had said the right thing because the relief was evident in Riley's eyes immediately and she visible relaxed.

"Thank you, Farkle."

"Anything for you."

She hugged him one last time and walked out the door.

As Farkle walked back into his room to finish his homework, he felt lighter than air. He was walking on water.

 _Finally, Riley is mine. What could possibly go wrong?_

If only either Riley or Farkle had seen the two-way video system (that Farkle had installed in his own room and Maya's when they had fixed her roof) come to life. It had stayed on _almost_ the entire time Riley was in Farkle's bedroom, mostly because Maya was too shocked to move a muscle. She just kept staring.


	5. The Queen of Harts

**A/N: Sorry it's taken me so long to update. I've been busy with a new job! I hope you like this chapter. It's a bit rough, but I wrote myself into a corner with the end of the last chapter and this where I felt I had to go with it. At least it gives some backstory to how the triangle was actually resolved! I would love to hear your thoughts and comments!**

 **Chapter Five: The Queen of Harts**

I must have stared at Farkle's darkened bedroom for a good three hours before I could wrap my head around what I had witnessed.

 _What the f*** was that? Riley and Farkle? Farkle and Riley?_

I shouldn't be surprised. I've known ALL about Farkle's Riley feels forever. I mean it. The boy has been head over heels in love with her since the day he met her. Sure he promised to love us the same and HE DOES. Honest. He loves us the same amount. He just loves us in different ways.

That's not why this is such a surprise to me. Hell, I _begged_ Farkle to pursue Riley when we were in the middle of the triangle mess. He flat out refused. Told me he didn't love Riley _that way_ and that he was happy with Smackle.

Smackle. And Lucas. That's why this is a surprise to me. My goody-goody ray of sunshine, cotton candy face, unicorn loving, best friend cheated on her boyfriend with FARKLE of all people. Riley and Farkle don't have it in them to do anything devious or wrong or bad. They just…don't.

I guess I've been TOO good of a bad influence on Riley.

Suddenly I'm laughing hysterically. I'm literally guffawing in my chair until I fall off onto the floor. I don't care that I fell. I'm still laughing.

My little nerds kissed because Riley _hiccupped_. Oh man, the irony is great. It's just so…perfect.

Except it isn't perfect. I know Riley. This is going to tear her up inside. She has a secret. Her conscience wouldn't forgive her for stealing one of her father's tater tots. It sure as hell isn't going to let this go anytime soon.

My poor little flower.

I know that a lot of people would be pissed at their best friend if said best friend kissed another guy after being chosen by the guy she had been fighting with her best friend over for a year.

The truth is that I knew Riley would never let Lucas go until she tried to have a real relationship with him. I couldn't take that experience from her. I had been Head of the Riley Committee for too long. She needed to learn a lesson about what she thought she felt as opposed to what she actually feels.

Plus, I'm happy with Josh.

I shouldn't take credit for figuring out Riley only thought she liked Lucas. That was all Mr. Matthews. He and I had been meeting fairly regularly to talk about Riley ever since he gave me a smartphone in the seventh grade. I remember the conversation so clearly.

 _"I want to talk to you about Lucas, Maya. I've tried to stay out of it but I can't anymore. There's something you need to know."_

 _"Look, Mr. Matthews, I would never hurt Riley. I promise that no matter what happ-" I tried to finish but Cory cut me off._

 _"You need to hear this Maya. You need to listen closely. Topanga thinks it would be a mistake to tell you this because you kids need to figure life out on your own but I think she's forgetting how often Mr. Feeny set us on the right path when we were in messes as teenagers. Every week it seems like some huge drama unfolded."_

 _I'm not sure where Cory went in that moment. He scrunched his face up real tight and then sighed pretty wistfully and looked off in the distance like he was remembering some happier time. I waved my hand in his face, poked him and messed with his hair- all without any acknowledgment._

 _"Mr. Matthews?" I nearly shouted._

 _He looked at me and seemed to register surprise before where he was and why he was here clicked._

 _"Maya, Riley grew up in the shadow of an epic romance. Topanga and I met when we were toddlers in the sandbox, or was it when we were chasing fireflies or when we were in the seventh grade? Anyway, we met young and we fell madly in love and fought for that love our whole lives. People were constantly trying to separate us, trying to get us to take a break. We knew we were meant for each other and it gave us the strength to fight until we were old enough to get married. We've always been together and a united front…"_

 _"Except when you kissed that Lauren girl." I snickered._

 _Cory looked miffed._

 _"We don't talk about that."_

 _"Ok. So Riley grew up in the shadow of you and Topanga what does this have to do with me?"_

 _"It has everything to do with you Maya. It has everything to do with what is going on with Lucas. Riley thinks that day on the subway was her destiny. She was there because she was meant to fall into Lucas' lap and begin a story just like Topanga's and mine. She believes she is in love with Lucas because she thinks that's what the universe is telling her."_

 _"Okay…"_

 _"Just listen, Maya. Riley was on that subway because it was the day YOU decided to get Riley on the subway. She didn't fall into Lucas' lap- you pushed her. I've seen the way she looks at Lucas, I've seen the way Lucas looks at her. It isn't love. It isn't romantic. I've also seen the way you look at Lucas and the way Lucas looks at you. That is love. That is romance."_

 _"So you want me to tell Riley that she doesn't actually like Lucas? That will go over well."_

 _"No, no. That isn't what I want at all, Maya." Cory actually chuckled while he said it. "I want you to let Riley and Lucas try to date. She won't listen to anyone who tries to reason with her. Even if she does, she will always wonder what might have been. She needs to date Lucas so she can realize how her perceptions and idolization of Lucas are not consistent with what is in her heart."_

 _"What's in her heart, sir?"_

 _"Oh, I think you know!"_

 _I smiled at that one. I could see that Cory was fighting with himself about whether or not to bring Farkle into the equation. So I did it for him._

 _"It's interesting you mentioned seeing a lot in the way a person looks at another person. I've been noticing the way Farkle and Riley look at each other a lot lately."_

 _I just let it hang there._

 _"Ohhh we're not letting either of them know that those feelings are there for a long time. Years. Maybe when she's fifty."_

 _I laughed. "I'm pretty sure Farkle knows already, sir."_

 _Cory sighed. "I know he does, Maya. I trust Farkle with my daughter. Don't you dare tell him that though! Farkle and Riley need to come together on their own. The only thing I'm asking is for you to let Riley and Lucas find out that they don't have feelings for each other. It'll make the path for you and Lucas a lot less muddied if he and Riley have already tried and realize they care about each other as friends and nothing more."_

 _I sat there for a long time thinking about what Mr. Matthews was asking of me. I knew the moment he asked me that I would once again step aside for Riley because she's my best friend and her happiness is the most important thing in the world ot me. I also know that Riley would do the same for me._

 _"Okaaaaaay, fine. I'll let Riley and Hop Along figure their stuff out and I'll take myself out of the equation. But only because that means I'll be free to annoy you and Riley by pursuing your brother Boing."_

 _"Thank you, Maya. You're a good friend. Hey! Wait, no! You and Josh cannot date. Absolutely not. He is way too old for you Maya. Are you crazy?"_

 _I burst out laughing._

 _"It is so easy to get you to freak out Matthews! That's all I wanted. Thank you."_

I had finally picked myself up off the floor. I'll never admit it to Matthews but I actually enjoy the talks I have with him. He was clearly right about Riley and Lucas. I just hope Lucas agrees.

The question now is how do I proceed knowing what I know? I thought about it as I picked up my guitar and started strumming along. Soon I was humming my favorite tune.

 _I could always confront Riley. Nah that's too easy. I could tell Lucas what I saw. Nah, that's being an awful friend. I could drop hints about Farkle and kissing around Riley and watch her nervously fall apart. That could be fun. I could tell Farkle what I know. He is my best friend too. I could get them both together and tell them I know._

Having decided on my course of action, I went to bed. The next day was Saturday and I always have breakfast with the Matthews family on Saturday. This would be an extra special Saturday. I had some surprises up my sleeve.

I got up extra early, pulled on my favorite red sweater, black skirt, and leopard booties. I walked quickly to the subway and got on the train I needed. Once I reached my destination I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. I could hear shoes clanking against the tile floor, approaching the door. Once it opened I pushed my way in.

The person before me was rubbing their eyes. "It's so early, Maya, What are you doing here at this hour?"

I grabbed the person's shirt and pulled them close to me.

"Time to fully wake up Farkle. You and I have to talk about what I witnessed between you and Riley last night. Then I have to go eat breakfast with her and her family. So you better explain fast because time is a wasting."

I let him go and watched as his eyes widened in shock. He must have closed his mouth and opened it at least ten times before he actually spoke. I was tapping my foot against the floor impatiently.

"Maya, this really isn't a good time. Can we please discuss this later? I know I owe you an explanation and I will give it to you, I promise. I-just-uh-I'm in the middle of something right now."

Behind Farkle, I saw a flash of color and pair of delicate feet approaching us. I narrowed my eyes. "What's going on, Farkle? I know you love Ri-"

Farkle cut me off "You're right Maya, I love surprises. Not this morning though! I'm in the middle of an experiment. It's very time sensitive. If you'll excuse me."

He opened the door and tried to shove me out. Unlucky for him, he didn't get me out before I heard a familiar female voice ask Farkle a question.

"Beloved, why are you shoving Maya out the door?"

Isadora Smackle appeared and looped her arm through Farkle's.

Farkle had three seconds to explain before I decided to rip his head off for playing my best friend.


End file.
